There are currently various different types of electrical contacts used as test probes in integrated circuit (IC) device testing. Among these, vertical type contacts have several advantages, such as allowing for better signal integrity and shorter current path between the device terminal and the load board terminal. One sub-type of vertical contacts, known as a vertical spring contact, typically comprises of 3 or 4 individual components, with one of the components being spring mounted axially to the direction of compression, hence the name vertical spring contact. This type of contact with its multiple components suffers from interference and friction losses, across the components, which results in compromised signal integrity.
A further sub-type of vertical spring contacts are those that have a 2-D planar design. In these, the spring is usually a strip of material that has been bent or formed in a zig-zag or other repetitive configuration in order to form a spring, as opposed to a 3-D design which tends to use circular springs. The springs in the 2-D design types tend to bulge out horizontally when compressed. This may cause friction and wear on any surfaces that may come into contact with the bulging material.
What is needed in the art is a vertical spring contact that overcomes the above disadvantages.